Flames of the Spirit

Kyra took a deep breath of the salt water air. "I've always wanted to go the ocean. I'd never thought that I'd be on it."
"Beautiful isn't it, Lass?" The Scotsman, now known as Alan, was leaning against the rail next to the Blue. "I get to see it all over the world"
"So how do you know where to go?" Kyra asked. "What is it made out of?"
"I can navigate using a technology called GPS" Alan laughed being sarcastic. "But really, it's no longer compasses and stars anymore. It much more complex. You and your friends have a lot to learn about this new world you've been plopped in."
"I want to know. Please show me everything" Adelle was walking up, talking to the Englishman, now known as Tomas, a Harvard College student that was traveling abroad.
"Oh I can do that" Tomas said. "I want to know everything about your world though. What's your history. How did you get your powers?"
"We're not super heroes" Kyra laughed. "There used to be a time where everyone was a Bender or a Siren. There were no normal humans"
"How incredible!" Tomas awed.
And so the teaching, and learning, began.
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"Wow!" Kyra raced to the edge of the deck. "Where is that!?"
"that, my friend, is the land of the free" Tomas said. "America"
"It's so.... big!" Kyra couldn't hold it in. "I've never seen anything so tall!"
Alan laughed his belly laugh. "You have a lot to see, little lady"
When they docked. Kyra raced on shore. Adelle followed with just as much excitement. Aidan simply walked off the ship.
"What is that against your ear?" Adelle asked a stranger. They just looked at her like she was crazy.
"Uh... Adelle!" Tomas ran up and laughed nervously. "That is cell phone. And uh, questions like that can... scare people off. They might think you... odd. Which is... not good"
"Oh, ok" Adelle said.
"Aidan! Aidan! Look!" Kyra laughed. "Listen!"
"Do you want me to look? Or listen?" Aidan asked. "Make up you mind"
"Come here!" Kyra took his hand. "Listen to the music!" She ran over to a speaker playing pop music.
Aidan tilted his head. A small smile spread across his face. "Wow, I can feel it"
"That's called the base" A kid walked up. "I take you've never heard one"
Aidan shook his head. "We're from... Ireland. A uh... really remote area on the island. Kind of cut off"
"Well, welcome to the now" the kid said. "I'm Sam"
"Aidan"
"It means fire right"
"Yes"
"That's boss"
"boss?" Aidan asked.
"Oh uh... it means cool. But... cooler than cool... I guess"
Aidan raised an eyebrow.
"Oh never mind" Sam said. "So who's the girl?"
"I'm Kyra" Kyra said. "That one over there is Adelle. She and Aidan are brother and sister."
"Are you his girlfriend?" Sam smiled.
"uh...um" Kyra looked down, putting a strand of hair behind her ear.
"She's just a friend" Aidan said and folded his arms. "Why?"
"Just asking, bro" Sam said. "Look flames, I know a good place to get a bite. Wanna come?"
"It's Aidan" Aidan narrowed his eyes.
"We'd love to!" Kyra said. "It better not be fish. I'm so sick of fish!"
Sam laughed. "It ain't no fish. Ever had Brooklyn pizza? Or Pizza in general?"
"What's Pizza?" Kyra asked.
Sam smirked. "you taste buds are about to get the ride of their life. Come on, and bring the sister"
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"what is this?" Adelle asked. "It so..." She stared at the glass. "I could drink this everyday! It's amazing"
"That is what we call soda" Sam said taking a sip of his own drink. "That particular kind is 7Up."
"Oh it's fantastic!"
Sam laughed in mid sip and started coughing and laughing.
"Are you ok?" Aidan asked.
"Ow" Sam chucked. "That was gold"
"Gold?" Aidan said. "there's no gold."
"No, no, no" Sam held up his hand. "When there is no actual gold, that word means..." he though for a sec. "Perfect. for example, Adelle's reaction to the soda was comedy gold. And then you add me snuffing soda..."
With the confusion facing him he tried to explain laughing while drinking. "the laughing makes soda go up your nose. I call it snuffing soda." he wiped the air. "Never mind. Just, forget it"
"Kyra shrugged. "ok" and took a bite of the pizza. "This is amazing by the way. I love the biting it does"
"That's called spice" Sam said. "It gives food a kick so it's not so bland"
"Thank you for the tour of this city" Aidan said. "It's quite... amazing"
"of course" Sam said. "We should hang out more often." He turned to Adelle. "It'd be fun"
"Most definitely!" Adelle chirped. They headed back to the peer and the boat.
"So, who was that?" Tomas asked.
"His name is Sam" Adelle said. "He showed us around. he gave me the most amazing drink ever! I love 7Up!"
Tomas snorted. "That's hilarious"
"Why?" Adelle asked. "Is it... bad that I like it?"
"No not at all" Tomas shook his head. "It's just that, you guys are new. And new is sometimes funny. that's all. We're not making fun of you or at laughing at you. Just your reactions to the world. They're kind of like a child"
"I am not a child!" Adelle shouted.
"Not what I meant" Tomas said. "It just that. Everything is new to you, kind of like everything is new to a child. It's perfectly fine just kinda funny. Don't take it as an insult. It's no insult in away way. Just an observation"
"That's the longest apology I've ever heard" Kyra said. "Just say you're sorry"
Tomas looked down, embarrassed, making Adelle smile. She walked over and gave him a hug. "I forgive you"
Tomas blushed. "mm, thanks. I think" Smiled as she wrapped her arms around Aidan's shoulders from behind him. He thought the way she looked at the world with wonder was a nice change form how people looked at the world. It made him want to look at the world the same way.
"can we go exploring tomorrow too?" Kyra asked. "I want see everything!"
Aidan smiled slightly. He felt the same way about Kyra's wonder and Tomas did about Adelle's. However, Aidan felt more for Kyra than the college student did about Adelle. Tomas just loved Adelle's wonder. Not the young woman. He had a mutual respect for her as a science geek. Not love.
Sam snuck out with his duffle bag and went down the dark ally. With a glow-stick, he began his work. Some red here, some blue there. He was a graffiti artist. But instead of the scribbles most did, he created true works of art. Things like this. Sam looked behind him when eh saw lights. He dropped his stuff and dashed behind a dumpster. He could hear the whirr of a siren and tried to make himself scarce. He climbed up a fire escape and got spotted.
"Freeze!" the cop shouted. "you under arrest for destroying public property!"
Sam dropped a blinking device and the cop freaked out, thinking it was a bomb; it was just a broken finger light that blinked when turned on. Sam laughed and leaped down, grabbing his stuff. He jumped back onto the ladder and climbed to the roof. "loser"
He gazed down at his work and became a little surprised. The face of the girl was the face of the one he'd met earlier. Adelle. Sam shook his head and ran off before getting caught again.